Cellular rubber tire for vehicles.



N0. "718,439. PATEN'IED JAN. 13, 1903- A. DUCASBLE. CELLULAR RUBBER TIREFOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13, 1902. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED DUOASBLE, OF ASNIIJRES, FRANCE.

CELLULAR RUBBER TIRE FOR VEHICLES.

EBECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 718,439, dated January13, 1903.

Application filed November 13, 1902. Serial No- 131,254:. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, ALFRED DUoAsBLn, engineer, a citizen of the FrenchRepublic, residing at Asnieres, Seine, France, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Cellular Rubber Tires for Vehicles, (forwhich I have made application for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No.23,026, dated November 14:, 1901,) of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to resilient tires for vehicle-wheels, and has forits object to produce a tire in which strength and durability arecombined.

My invention consists in a new form of elastic tire in which a series ofhollow chambers of nearly-spherical form are employed within a strongcover of any well-known construc tion and fastened to the rim in anysuitable manner. The hollow chambers have annular spaces between them attheir points of junction and are provided with holes connecting thesespaces with the interiors of the hollow chambers, so that the air in anychamber is displaced into the annular space with which it is connectedwhen that particular part of the tire is depressed at the tread and issucked in again when the pressure is removed. The action of the chambersunder road stresses is thus similar to that of the ball of aspraydiffuser, and the tire is kept comparatively cool.

A tire constructed according to my invention has all the advantages of apneumatic tire filled with compressed airthat is, speed, suppleness,efficiency, absence of heating-- without having the drawbacks ofartificial inflation and liability to deflation by puncturing.

The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates clearly one method ofcarrying my invention into effect, Figure 1 being a longitudinal sectionof part of a tire constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is acrosssectional View of the same. Fig. 3 shows a shape assumed by thetire when placed inside its cover.

In carrying my invention into effect according to the exampleillustrated in the drawings I form a ring or band of rubber or othersuitable material of cylindrical or oval cross section and having anumber of hollow chambers a formed in it at equal intervals. Betweenthese chambers the band is reduced in cross-section, leaving a V-shapedgroove 1) around the band, which forms an annular space when the. tireis in place inside its cover. Small holes 0 form communication betweeneach of these annular spaces 1) and the hollow chambers a, so that whena chamber a is compressed some of the air from it is expelled into theannular space bjbut a supply is sucked back again when the pressure isreleased. This constant interchange of air tends to keep the tire cool,the annular spaces being in free communication with the air throughorifices e in the rim. The plugs d are used to close the holes left inthe chambers in the course of manufacture.

The Walls of the chambers may be of uniform thicknes and have aperfectly circular cross-section, or they may be somewhat thickened atthe tread and where they rest on the rim of the-wheel and have an ovalsection, as shown in Fig. 2, or they may be thickened at the tread only.I find it preferable to'thicken the tire at least on the outside, asthis gives a narrower tread or bearing surface on the road. I also findit preferable to'compress these hollow chambers circumferentially, sothat they assume a shape as shown in Fig. 3. This makes the strength ofthe tire to oppose compression very uniform and has the effect of makingit run very smoothly.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a resilient tire for vehicle-wheels, the combination with aflexible outer cover of an inner continuous elastic band containing aseries of hollow chambers, the band being re duced in diameter betweensaid chambers so as to leave annular spaces open to the atmospherebetween the band and the outer cover,

and small apertures forming communication between the hollow chambersand said annular spaces substantially-as described.

2. In a resilient tire for vehicle-wheels, the combination with aflexible outer cover ofxan inner continuous elastic band containing aseries of hollow chambers having their walls thickened at the part whichcomes nearest the road, the band being reduced in diameter between saidhollow chambers so as to leave IOCI annular spaces open to theatmosphere between the band and the outer cover and small aperturesforming communication between the hollow chambers and said annularspaces substantially as described.

3. In a resilient tire for vehicle-wheels, the combination with aflexible outer cover of an inner elastic band containing a series ofhollow chambers having their walls thickened at the parts which comenearest the road and rim of the wheel, the band being reduced indiameter between said hollow chambers so as to leave annular spaces opento the atmosphere between the band and the outer cover and smallapertures forming communication between the hollow chambers and saidannular spaces substantially as described.

4. In a resilient tire for vehiclewheels the ALFRED DUCASBLE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MAOLEAN, GEORGE E. LIGHT.

